While Americans continue to prioritize leisure travel, economic headwinds may send summer travel plans in a new direction.
While navigating economic headwinds and financial concerns, summer travelers adjust budgets and itineraries but maintain their plans, according to a recent report on summer travel.
In its new report, “Right-sized American Summer: 2025 Deloitte Summer Travel Survey,” Deloitte examines the trends and preferences that could shape the upcoming summer travel season, and how Americans’ financial concerns may impact the landscape.
“Travelers appear eager to embark on their summer trips, but pricing pressures and economic influences are expected to chart the course for how they get there,” said Kate Ferrara, vice chair and U.S. transportation, hospitality and services sector leader, Deloitte. “By swapping flights for road trips or planning shorter, budget-friendly adventures, travelers are likely seeking value while making memories. By remaining nimble in their offerings, providers have an opportunity to meet travelers halfway, offering flexibility and options, and, most importantly, reminding travelers what their summer trips are all about.”
Perceptions of high prices are expected to impact travelers’ plans. Beyond economic pressures, other trends continue to shape the outlook for summer travel, from emerging technologies to sustainability priorities, based on responses to the survey.
“Financial factors aren’t the only thing impacting summer travel plans,” said Eileen Crowley, U.S. transportation, hospitality and services leader, Audit & Assurance partner, Deloitte & Touche LLP. “Younger travelers are increasingly leveraging GenAI to plan their trips, while older generations are checking off their bucket lists, and many others continue to bring their laptops along for the ride. Each demographic wants something a little bit different — and offers the travel industry ways to tap into their collective loyalty this summer and beyond.”
Surveyed travelers expect to keep their plans
Americans continue to prioritize leisure travel, with planned summer travel spend expected to hold steady this year compared to last year. Although some may reconsider where they are going and how they’ll get there amid economic pressures, many seem determined to pack their bags and make it work. The survey found the following:
- More than half (53%) of Americans surveyed plan to travel and stay in paid lodging this summer, up from 48% last year.
- Americans surveyed plan to take an average of 3.1 summer trips (compared to 2.3 in 2024).
- More travelers surveyed are looking for a quick getaway: 41% plan to take a summer trip of three nights or fewer, compared to 37% last year. However, when looking at their longest planned trip of the summer, many are adding days: 45% of travelers say their longest trip will last a week or more, up from 39% in 2024.
- Though most travelers surveyed (77%) say their longest trip will fall before the end of August, 23% of Americans surveyed say it will take place post-Labor Day (Sept. 1). This has been an ongoing trend, increasing steadily year on year from 12% of marquee trips in 2022.
- Finances also appear to impact travelers’ plans once they get to their destination. Those who said they feel financially worse off this year are less likely to splurge on excursions such as a guided day trip or sightseeing tour (30% vs. 42% of those feeling financially better), a ticketed or public event like a festival or concert (27% vs. 31%), or a small group or one-on-one class (9% vs. 17%).
- The impact of remote work on travel plans remains steady. Nearly a quarter (23%) of travelers surveyed plan to work on their longest trip this summer, up slightly from 2024 (21%).
- Laptop luggers are increasingly more likely to take longer trips (39% in 2025 vs. 31% in 2024), travel to farther-away international destinations (20% vs. 14%) and stay at private rentals (20% vs. 15%).
Economic headwinds impact travel spending
While Deloitte’s survey in March 2025 found that travelers planned to spend 21% more this summer over last, the April survey found that survey travelers were pulling back on plans slightly with travel budgets expected to increase by only 13% year-over-year.
- While total spend throughout the summer is still increasing year-over-year, budgets when looking at the longest trip of the season only are flat. As of late March, American travelers surveyed had planned to increase budgets for their longest trip this summer to $3,987 — 13% higher than in 2024. In April, those surveyed said they planned to spend an average of $3,471 — less than 1% higher than in 2024.
- Many travelers who are planning on decreasing budgets are shifting spending away from one big trip in favor of shorter, more frequent trips, a preference that rose from 18% in March to 28% in April.
- Those surveyed in April who plan to reduce their travel spend say they expect to take shorter trips (43%), stay at budget hotels (33%), stay with family and friends (30%), and pick cheaper airfare classes (20%).
- For those still spending significantly more on their longest 2025 summer trip (19% as of April, compared to 23% in March), it’s because the trip now feels more special. In the April survey, 49% of respondents attributed the higher spend to bucket list trips, versus 41% who said the same in March.
The report on summer travel includes data from two surveys, one fielded between March 23rd and April 1st, and another fielded between April 7th and April 9th.
The Sunshine State is likely going to remain on many summer travel lists, as Florida set a new tourism record and over 75 million people visited Orlando last year. That was before Central Florida’s latest addition, as Universal Epic Universe, Orlando’s new theme park, is officially open.
